Who we are

Our community has at its heart the nembutsu, which is our expression of our love for the Buddha and, more importantly, our gratitude for his love of us. ~ Dharmavidya, from ‘For Love‘

Amida Shuis a community of people who practice the Amida Shu form of Pureland Buddhism. We take refuge through a practice called the nembutsu, which is saying the name of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. The way we usually say this is: Namo Amida Bu.

There are Amida Shu groups and centres all over the world. These communities are made up of people from all walks of life, all with a deep commitment to the Buddhist path.

Amida Shu Buddhism emphasises the vulnerable and fallible nature of ordinary human beings, and the necessity of connecting with a wise and loving power which is greater than ourselves. We are a welcoming and friendly community. We try to follow lifestyles compatible with Buddhist ethics, and we get involved in socially engaged work. We listen to each other and we are interested in creating harmonious communities. We are foolish beings of wayward passions who feel accepted by Amida Buddha all the same, just as we are.

Our mission: The mission of the Amida Shu is to foster Buddhist faith and its application for the spiritual, social, psychological and practical benefit of all sentient beings, individually and collectively, past, present and future, here and hereafter.

If you’d like to find out more about what we have to offer, start here.